Automobile switch and instrument panel



. E. N. JACOBI AUTOMOBILE SWITCH AND INSTRUMENTPANEL Jan. ,6, 1931 vOriginal Filed June ll. 192s. 4 sheets-sheet 1 n FIG). Z

` `WEA/TOR wlNEssEs Jan. 6, 1931. E. N..JAcoBl AUTOMBILE SWITCH AND INSTRUMENT PANEL original Filed June 11,' 192:5 4 sheets-sheet 2 ATTORNEY WITNESSKES l/u Jan.l 6, 1931. E. N. JAcoBl T 1,787,684'

` AUTOMOBILE SWITCH AND `INSTEIAJMENT PANEL Original Filed June 11, 1923 f 4 Sheets-Sheet 3k f FIG. 4

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` N ATTORNEY Jan. 6, 1931. E. N. LJACOBI A AUTOMOBILEl swITcH AND INSTRUMENT PANEL.

Original Filed Jung ll, y1925 4 Sheets-Sheet `4 INVENTOR T ATTORNEY WITFNESSES Patented Jam 6, 1931 UN1'TDSTATES lPKT/ENT GPM-CUE :immuniI n; Jaco'ar, or xirnwau, wyrscousnlr, nssxeuoa, nr xEsNn assramrnms,

"ro smoes alsrna'r'roN concurren, or `mmzuuxlm, wrscoNsIN, A conroaaf 'rroN or 'DELAWARE .l n,

i nurexonrm: swr'r'cn nm msrnuxmwr naar.

f Applinfiqaalfedjrune V1'1, mam-m num-n." Renewed :une 2o, 1930.

- invention r4hasifor xits object to pro- .videan automobile switch yand instrument panelk containing the usualswitches andzln'- struments ina sin' le assembly with a. single glass front and i uminated by a self-con` tainedlamp in such a maner as toiobtaineven distribution of. light and the y. avoidance `f shadows so'that Vthe instruments may be easilyread. w lI l-f f z `Another object ofthe invention is toprovidesuch a switch and instrument panel that will exclude dust and water and thatwillr compensate for the variation in thickness of glass fronts. v' Another objectrof the invention is to provide such a switch 4and instrument "panel aording ready access to the lamp for permitting itto be changed.

. vAnother object for `thevinvention is to utilize the base castingof such adevice as the housing or casing for the lampand switches.

Another ob'ect for theinventionis to rovide suchk a evice with a single face p ate common to all of the instruments rwith open# ings 4through which ftheymaybe read and spacedffrom the base tovform ay 1i ht conduit between it and the basefthroug which all, or substantially all, ofthe light is conducted tothe ;dialsof the instruments either directly or by -counter-reiiection, thus giving' a subduedbut ample and `uniform illumination to'lall yof the instruments."

. lVith the above and other objects inview the 4invention consists iin theautomobile switchfand instrument -panel as' herein claimed, its parts and combinations 'of parts, and all "equivalents," l y f Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like characters of reference indicate the s'ame parts in different views,

Fig. 1f is a frontV view of an automobile switch and instrument panel constructed in accordance with thisinve'ntion Fig. 2 isa sectional view on the line 2-,-2of Fig.c 1; l.

Fig. 3 is a back-view thereof; Y l v Fig. 4 is an endview showing the manner of clamping the panel to a cowl board; Y

Fig. 5 is a sectional view; on the plane 0f plane of mounting the voil gauge;

Fig. 6 is a similarview on thevplane of mounting the ammeter Fig..7 is asimilar view on the plane of line of Fig. 3 AshowingA the mannerQof line 7'-7 of Fig. 3 showing the-'manner of mounting the clock; -1 Fig. 8 1sr a sectional view showing the mannerofmounting the lamp switch;

Fig. 9 is a sectional view on theplane-of line 9-9 of Fig. 3showing the manner'of mounting the lam Y (Fig. 10 is a sectional view throughone of rthe switches; F ig. 11 is a rear view .with .partsremoved to the locking nut; 1

of one of the switches Fig. 12 is a similar view plate in position; 4 t 4 y Fig. 13 is an kinside view of oneof the terminal heads with the contact member and showing the stop driver in position;

. F 14 is a sectional view they river;

beFig. 15 is a rearview of the contact mem- Fi 16 isa sectionalviewthrough' the `thereof without `'switc `handle bushing showing the engage,`

ments ofthe locking late, and

Fig.17is a front View of the instrument panelwith the rim removedand the,v front plate partiall vbroken away showing the construction of t e base casting. .y

y. In these drawings, 205 indicates a rimer bezel, preferably ofy elliptical shape, as shown, and `provided with a surrounding shouldered ange to fit in a correspondingly shaped openv l ,ing in a cowl board 21.

- Fitting within the rearwardl flange of the rim or bezel 20 an a'djustably yclampedthereto by clamping screws 22 and distance screws 23 in*` pairs at regular intervals, asA shown in Fig. 3, is a base casting 24 with a Asurrounding forwardly projectin shouldered iange spaced from the flange o `the rim orbezel by the pairs of bosses 425 formed `on vthe latter for said screws 22 and-23.'` y Y y One edge of the rim or bezel 20is enlarged,

.forming an inwardly extending vprojection extending provided with a circular opening to receive a lamp cover 26, the inwardly extendin flange of the rim or bezel continuing aroun this projection, as seen in Figs. 2 and 9.

A glass front 27. covers the entire open face of the instrument panel, being cut to fit around the projection for lamp cover 26 and clamped between the inwardl extendin flange of the rim or bezel and the forwar ly extending fiange of the base castinr with a gasket 28 of rubber or other suitable material fitting around its edge between the clamping faces. By a careful adjustment of the clamping screws 22 and distance screws 23 the clamping of the lass may be made uniform and without un ue pressure so as to obtain a tight fit without injury to the glass and that will permit of theusual variations in the thickness of the glass, it being commercially infeasible to rely on glass being of uniform thickness.

, nings are drilled through the glass to receive Banged tubular bushings 29 for lighting and ignition switch handles 30 and 31 vrespectively, said bushings also fitting within flanged openings in the base casting 24 where the are held by lock nuts 32 threaded on them within switch cases 33 formed integral with the base casting. Gaskets of rubber or other suitable materialsurround the edges o f vthe o enings inthe glass and fit between the c amping surfaces of the bushing shoulders and the flanges around the openings of the base casting, as shown in Fig. 10, to make a tight fit without undue stress on the glass, andthe adjustments of the lock nuts 32 for maintaining the clamping engagement are retained by means of lock plates 34. Each of these lock plates 34, as shown in Fig. 16, is anchored against turning by having notches A35 in its edge to engage one or another of a series of longitudinally extending flanges 36 projecting inwardly from the wall of the switch case 33. At the same time this lock plate anchors the bushing 29 so that it is incapable of turning, the oval shaped opening in said lock plate having aniinwardly extending lug 37 to engage in an opening 38 in said bushing, as seen in Figs. 10 and 16. vIn as` sembling, the lock plate, because ofthe elongation of its opening, may be passed over the end of the bushing and then with its lug'37 registering with the opening 38 it may be .forced upwardly to effect their engagement,

the same movement effecting the engagement of a notch 35 with a flange 36. Then the lock nut is turned on the end of the bushing to effect the desired clamping of the glass front and incidentally serving to clamp the lock plate inplace. When this adjustment is effected the lock nut is locked against displacement by bending into one of its vperipheral notches 39 one or more of the locking fingers 40 which are bent up from the edge of the locking plate and are so spaced that one or another will be convenient for such engagement in any position of the locking nut. In this manner the bushing is revented from turning by anchoring it to t e base casting, the Glass 1s clamped around the bushing to the desired degree to effect a tight connection without undue stress, and the clamping adjustment is rendered permanent by the lockingof the clamping nut in its adjusted position. It will be appreciated tlat this method of adjusting and locking the clamping bushing to maintain tight 'connection with the glass adapts the part-s to suit themselves to the thickness of the lass notwithstanding variations in such thic ness so that, whet-her the glass is thin or thick, a. tight seal ma be made that will exclude dust and water w ere it `fits around the rim and also where it fits around the bushings and in this way provision is made for .passing the switch handles through the glass front.

Considering now the matter of illumination before entering intothe description of switch structure, the rear view of Fig. 3 shows that the base casting 24 is utilized as an instrument mount having a gasoline gauge 41, an oil Agauge 42, a speedometer 43, an ammeter 44, and a clock 45 mounted thereon and, as will be seen in Figs.` 2, 5, 6 and 7, these instruments are suitably clamped within flanged openings of the base castingwith their faces or dials protected by no other glass cover than the common glass cover 27 for the entire instrument panel. yThe faces or dials of the various instruments thus mounted are disposed approximately in a common plane parallel with the planel of the glass front and approximately midway between them is a sheet metal -front plate 46 seated on a shoulder 47 on the flange of the base casting and secured thereto by means of screws 48. In front of each instrument the front plate has a sight opening of an appropriate shape to permit of theinspection ofthe face or dial of the instrument and around the openings of the front plate through which the bushings 29 pass are placed words indicating the operative positions -o the switch handles. Each of the sight o enings in the front plate has its edges turne rearwardly not only for the purpose of giving.l ornamental finish to the panel but for deflecting the light which travels through the space between the front plate and the base casting toward the face of the dial of each instrument.

The electric lamp bulb 49 is seated ina socket 50 formed in a depression of the base casting with its filament behind the plane of the front' plate but close thereto so that, while the greater part of thelight travels in the space between the front plate and the base casting, a portion of the light will travel through the space between the front plate and the glass cover suficient for showing the words appearing on the front plate. The front plate is provided with a large V-shaped notchin'itsup er ed e kplate is preferably black,fits rearisurface is right and the lfront surface of the base castinvr is coated with an enamehgiving it lightre ecting properties'. to facilitate they illumination oftheinstruments by increasing the light conductivity of the `light-conducting chamber between them.` As the face or dial of each instrument is in a proximately the same plane as the ,lamp i lamentand surrounded by the instrument-receiving flange,

the `instrument islighted by'yreiected light and all )of .the instruments are evenly and uniformly `illuminated without the production of shadows. o *l 1 7:' o E The base casting, besides forming thelamp socket, containingthe usual bayonet slots by means of which the lampisfremovably .attached from the front of the instrument anel when the cover 26 is removed, also. a ords a housing 51 for the `lamp contact spring 52 which -isl mounted on a plateof 'insulating material-53 attached to the end of said housing. The rivet through the insulating plate which attaches thecontact. spring 52 on the inside of the housing yalso secures, a connecting strip 54 on the outside and rsaid connecting strip leads to a lamppswitch 55 which is of. the push and pull knob-ty e and-,is seated in a recess in the back of t e base casting with its stem 56 projecting through said base casting and the rim 20, From the other terminal of lthe lamp switch is a conducting strip 57 leading `to a connector 5 8 kfor connection with the battery leadf l o, :The lamp cover 26 has a notch in its edge to receive a positioning lug 591 projecting from, the edge of the `cover opening an spring-pressed ball detents 60 in the opposite sides of the cover engagerecesses 61 1n the edges of the cover opening to securely lock the cover in plare, said detents yieldmg, however, when sufficient force is applied to remove the cover and thus give Vaccess to the lamp for replacing the bulb y(when desired.y n. Y .The construction of the li htingand igni- Ation switches is substantial y .thel same except for the range of movement being greater with the lighting switch. The range' of movement is determined by a stop plate 62 mounted onthestem of the switch handleand having oppositely extending stop lugs to engage the flangesk 36 previously mentioned,- The yof the stem of the switch handle has ay central bore and is slotted withitheslotthrough one wall'slightly wider than thetslot` through the other wall and openings 4in thefstop lplate match with the sectional shape of the slotted boredhandle stemas shownfin Fig. 1 12. ,A screw 63 in the bore ofthe lstemrfsecures the stop plate to the unslotted portion ofthe stem, as seen in ing the stop plate on the stem makes it iny dotted ,lines in anges 36.

end

Fig. 10. This manner of mount?" capable of turning thereonfiso'jrthat when v*the klugs ystrike the flanges ,36"the handle is in'- capable of'turning further. It will be noted that;for modifying the switch for-different ,purposesthe range of movement may be increased byA `removing 'one or more/of the f The contacting portionsof the switch are self-contained, that is they-constitute an independent assembly readily attachablexto the switch housings and comprise .an insulating terminal `head 64 preferably ofyone orttwo sheets of bakelite fabric having a stud 65 rivetedto itscenter to constitute a `pivotpost for the contact member. lTher contact member comprises an insulatingI rplate166 preferably of-vulcanized `fiber rotatably and'. slidabl'y mounted on the'pivotr post 65;.with `radial f rojections fitting within the corresponding- Y ysha ed flanged edgesof a metalzcontact ring 6 whos'e corresponding: radially ex-` tendingprojections are recessed to fit 4the rivet heads wrof contact studs 68 arranged Lin La circle around thepivot'post;` AIU-shaped 'sheetmetal driver 69 is pivotally mounted on the pivot-'post and bears against-'the rivet yheadthereof and one'of its legs isiwiderthanA the other to correspond with the width of the slots in the switch handle stem and assure proper-'assembly therewithfor these parts of the driver are containedwithin the'- slots of the handle stem when assembled, as shown in Fig. 13, and their ends pass through yopen'- ings 1n the insulatingfplate 66k without con? u tactingwith the Contact ring. Theturning movements of the switch handle are therefore communicated to the driver and through the'driver toY the contact member, the position of the driver in the slots of the handle stem 4being variable to accommodate the varying thickness of the glass front 27. yA coiled spring T0-surrounds the pivot posh-bearing atoneend against the driver 69. ,and at ythe other endl against the yinsulating plate 166, nl i thus serving to holdthe contact ring vfirmly in ,l engagement with the rounded heads of the contact-studs 68 and causing the recesses in saidv contact ringin engagement :with the iio heads of thestuds to servey asdetent-s lfor holding the switch inits operative positions. The Acontact studs 68 serveas rivets-for attaching, an lar binding .posts `71 arranged and ymarke Vfor the, various wirin ,connectionsy to establish the desired switc connec-A tions inthevarious positionsof the switch handles The terminal-heads are secured tothe ends of the switch housings33by means of screws 72 and in addition thereto positioning lugs 730m the yedge lof the" switch housingfenter openings'74rl in the terminal hadSaSSuring Proper ,assembly-- yTher U-shaped yclamping membe s 75 serve to clamp the instrument to the cowl board bybridgng around the ends `,of the instrument' panel' and bearing on the edges of the cowl board around the opening with screw studs 76 pas'sn therethrough and threading into bosses 7 on the back of the base casting.

By'means of this invention the main prob' lems involved in the grouping together in one anel of all of the instruments of the Esche board under a sin le glass front' have n solved, the varying-tliickness of the glass being taken care of both in` the clam ing of the lass between the base casting an the rim or liezel and in the clam ing of the glass between the base castin an the'bushing for the switch handleslw ile the uniform illumination ofthe instruments without objectionable shadows is'accomplished by the provision of the front plate spaced from the ase castin and from the g ass front with the lamp lament so related thereto that, while sucient light passes in front of the front `plate to show the names a pearing thereon,"the major'portion of the lig t is conducted through the space between the front plate and the base'casting, where it is difused and reflected upon the face or dial of each'instrument. This gives a subdued iny `direct lighting free from glare and shadows.

`replacements and the base to house the lamp` contact and the switchl At the same time the lamp is accessible for casting is utilized structures, making the entire instrument panel comparatively inexpensive, air and dust tight and free from loose parts.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An instrument panel 'for automobiles containin several instruments under a single glass front comprising a base havin instruments itted thereto, a rim or bezel ad] ustably mounted on the base, a glass front clamped between the rim or bezel and the base, a shouldered bushin passing throu h the glass front and adjusta 1y clamped to t e base fo'raccommodatin the thickness of the glass front, and a switcg switch handle passing throu h the bushing.

2. An instrument panel for automobiles containing various instruments behind a single glass front comprising a base, a rim or bezel, adjustably connected thereto, a glass front clamped between the base and the rim or bezel, a flanged bushino passin through an opening in the glass ront an through an opening in the base, a nut threaded on lthe bushing, means for locking the nut and for preventing the bushing from turning, and a switch on the base having a handle passing through the bushing.

3. An instrument panel for automobiles containing various instruments behind a single glass front comprising a base forming a switch housing, a rim or bezel adj ustabl -secured to the base, a glass front clampe be tween the base and the rim or bezel, a shouldered bushing vpassing through an opening on the base having a' vof the nut for locking it, and a switch inthe switch housing having a handle passing through the'bushing.

4. n instrument panel comprising a base, aninstrument mounted therein, a glass front secured in front of the instrument, 'a front plate positioned between the face of the instrument and the glass front and having marks thereon and an opening through which the face of the instrument may be seen, and an electric lamp withits filament back of the plane of the front plate, the light therefrom being conducted through the space between the front plate and the base to the face of the instrument and through the s ace between the front plate and the glass flriont panel comprising a base,

to said marks.

5. An instrument an instrument mounted thereon, a glass front mounted in front of the instrument, a front plate ositioned between the Vbase and the glass ront and spaced therefrom and having an opening through Awhich the face of the instrument may be seen and having marks thereon, yan electric lamp with its filament behind the front plate but close to the plane thereof whereby the greater part of the light is conducted through the space between the front plate and the base to the face of the instrument and a part of the light is conducted through the space between the front plate and the glass front to show the marks on the front plate.

6. In an instrument panel, a base, a plurality of vinstruments mounted on the base with their faces approximately located in a'common plane, a glass front mounted on the base in front'of the instruments, a front plate mounted on the base between the in` strumentsand the glass front and spaced therefrom and provided with openings through which the faces of the instruments may be seen, said openings having rearwardly turned edges, a switch on the base having ay switch handle passing through the front late and the glass front, said front plate aving marks appearing thereon indicating the positions of the switch, an electric lamp mounted in the base with its filament approximately in the plane of the front plate Whereby the light from the lamp may be conducted throu h the space between the front plate and te base to the faces of the instruments and through the s ace between the front plate and the glass ront to show the marks on the frontplate.

llU

meuse 7. An instrument panel comprising a base,

an instrument mounted thereon, a rim or bezel secured to the base, a glass front clamped between the base and the rim or bezel, a front plate secured to the base and n extending between the face of the instrument and the glass front, aremovable cover fitting in an openin inthe rimyor bezel, alamp socket forme yin the base behind the removable cover, an electric lamp seated in the lamp socket and accessible through the open ing for the cover and having its filament in approximately the plane of the front plate to illuminate the front plate as well as the face of the instrument.

' 8. An instrument panel comprising a base an instrument mounted therein a rim or beze secured to the base, a. glass iront clamped between the rim or bezel and the base,l a front plate secured tothe base and extending between the instrument and the glass front, a removable cover seated in an openin in the rim or bezel and having means for ioldin it in place, a lampsocket in the base behin the removablek cover, a lamp fitting in the t y 1am socket with its lament approximatel in t e plane of the front late, and a switc for the lamp secured to t e base and having' l its switch handle extending throughthe rim or bezel.

`9. In an instrument panel, a base casting, a rim or bezel secured thereto, a glass front held in place by the rim or bezel, an instrument mounted on'the base casting, there bes ing a circular opening in the rim or bezel a removabley cover member fitting in said openin spring pressed balls carried by the cover or engaging notches in the edges of the opening to releasably hold the cover in place, and an electric lamp seated in the base casting and accessible through the opening when the cover is removed. n

In testimony whereof I aiiix m si ature.

` i EDWARD N. A OBI. 

